Telegram now sends disappearing messages, just like Snapchat

Telegram, popular for its encrypted messaging service (and adorable emojis!), just upped its privacy game for users.

The app now lets you send your friends "self-destructing" photos and videos that disappear after a few seconds, the company said in a blog post yesterday. How long it takes for the media to go away depends on how long you set the timer for.

If this update sounds all too familiar, that's because it's similar to Snapchat's ephemeral pictures and video. Snapchat isn't unfamiliar to having its features cloned by other apps, however. In the last year, Facebook has rolled out a similar feature to Instagram, WhatsApp and its the Facebook app.

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While self-destructing messages are automatic on Snapchat, Telegram requires you to set a timer (anywhere from one second to a minute) telling it when to work its magic before you send the selected media, which can only be viewed on the devices used to send and receive it. The feature doesn't work on its Web platform.

The app's latest move, billed as a way to improve privacy, may come at a bad time, given some governments believe the app offers a safe haven for terrorists to spread extremist ideas and plot attacks. After troubles in Russia, Telegram last week found itself banned in Indonesia, where authorities said they detected "thousands of communication activities [on Telegram] leading to terrorist activities."